Suspenders or other garment-supporter.



No. 708,882. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

H. c. mus.

SUSPENDEBS OR OTHER GARMENT SUPPORTER.

(Application filed. June 20, 1902.}

(No Model.)

Withesses: V 1 @Jyfigi/ W I By his Attorney,

UNITE STATES PATENT FIcE.

I-IFNRYC. HINE, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

'SUSPE NDERS OR OTHER GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 708,882, dated September9, 1902.

Serial No. 112,404. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. HINE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,-residing in New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSuspenders or other Garment-Supporters, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of garment supporters commonlydesignated as suspenders; and its objectis to connect theshoulder-straps to the rear suspender-end by a device which comprises alever, to which the shoulder-straps are connected, and a hanger, towhich the suspender-end is connected, said hanger and lever beingpivoted together, thereby securing the requisite freedom of action ofthe shoulder-straps. Suspender-trimmings are commonly made of thin sheetmetal, because it is not only inexpensive, but is cheap to manufactureinto the various shapes required. Heretofore it has not been foundpracticable in this art to use a shoulder-strap lever pivoted to ahanger, owing to the thinness and peculiar character of the sheet metalwhich it is necessary to employin making the trimmings, said metal beingonly about one sixty-fourth of an inch in thickness, and hence ofieringpractically a knife-edge at the bearing parts,and,rnoreover, being of aneasilyworkable material, which is extremely liable to bite at the jointif a simple pivot is employed, causing themetal to cut away rapidly,especially as the lever is subjected to considerable strain and in manycases is in constant motion.

The object of my invention is to avoid this difficulty and enable theuse of a lever and hanger so pivoted together as to have greatdurability and avoiding altogether the cutting action of the edge oredges of the thin metal, thus making it practicable to put upon themarket a first class suspender at the same price as a low-gradesuspender.

Referring to the drawings accompanying the specification, Figure 1 is aview illustratingthe mode of applying my present improvemerits to anordinary pair of suspenders. Fig. 2 is a view of the connecting devicewhereby the shoulder-straps are connected with the end pieces. Fig. 3 isan edge view in section, further illustrating the construction ofthedevice in that form thereof in which'a plurality of sets of balls areused in the main joint of the same. Fig. 4 is a partial view similar toFig. 2, drawn with some parts broken away for more fully illustratingthe preferred construction of the device in' its more complete forrn.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

My improved suspender-connecting device and equalizer is illustratedinthe drawings as being applied to'an ordinary'suspender; but-it isobvious that the improvement is applicable to various forms and kinds ofgarment-supporters where a plurality of straps or hands are located sideby side and are to be connected with another portion of the supporter insuch manner that the several members of the supporter shall have theforces transmitted from one to another in a way to properly proportionand distribute the several stresses and at the same time give therequired amount of freedom from constraint or resistance, so that thewearer shall not be subjected to discomfort while using a suspender orsupporter'provided with an equalizing connecting device. In my presentimprovements I attain this object in an unusu ally perfect manner bymeans of a device strength and rigidity in the line of the'strain and bythe employment of component members of such character as shall bereadily manufactured of relatively thin sheet materials otherwisesuitable for use in goods of the suspender class. In order tosatisfactorily meet the various requirements of this peculiar line ofmanufactures, it is found necessary to generally resort to sheet metalsof comparatively small thickness and of such quality as to permit theproduction of the complete devices at an extremely low cost. On theother hand, it is found equally desirable to furnish the suspenders witha strong and reliable connecting device which shall not only beefficient considered merely as a connecting device, but shall also bedurable in use and smooth and free in its operation. For meeting thesepeculiar and exacting requirements I have organized my improveddraft-equalizing and connecting device by providing a main lever orcarrier 3, connected midway of its length with the intermediate linkageor connection 4, the ends of said main carrier being shown pivotallyconnected (see Fig. 2) at 6 and 6 with the attachments 5 and 5'. In theform in which these attachments are shown in said Fig. 2 they eachconsist of a loop 8, formed with an eyepiece 9, that is connected to theouter end 10 of the main carrier 3, such connection being preferablymade by means of an eyeletform fastening or by a rivet in lieu thereof,as shown, for instance, at 12. In some cases, if preferred, other formsof strap attachments or eyepieces may be substituted for the particularform of such attachment shown in said Fig. 2. Especially may this bedone when the strap instead of being fiat web, as herein shown,(the samebeing designated by 14 and 14,) the manufacturer shall use a cord orother form of suspender-band or tie-piece.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, in which the ball-bearing comprises twosets of balls, the outer set 15 and the inner set 16, respectively, itwill be seen that the grooves or channels for the balls are constructedof correspondingly-formed portions 17 and 19 of the respective members 3and 4 of the device. For the purpose of securing the construction hereindicated the said members are shown as being out out of sheet metal ofrelatively small thickness, so as to secure sufficient lightness withsome degree of flexibility, especially in the extending arms of the maincarrier, so as to provide for a slight elasticity desirable in thisclass of articles, the sheet metal being of sufficient thickness 'andfirmness to provide against too great flexibility while in use, even inthe most severe strains to which suspenders and like supporters arenecessarily subjected. It will be remembered in this connection that inequalizer-levers generally the heaviest strain comes in the middleportion of the lever or member, and for meeting this condition as it isdeveloped or exists in the present construction I construct the sheetmetal or main carrier 3 with a circular concaved portion 19, that forthe purposes of coustituting it a suitable ball-channel is made ofsubstantially circular cross-sectional form and is also made of arelatively considerable diameter, so that it extends across'the majorportion of the width of the said member, and this formation, which is inthe nature of a ribbed construction, constitutes a reinforcing elementor feature for the middle portion of the length of said member 3, withthe result of imparting to said member in that portion thereof a highdegree of stability and rigidity, especially adapting it to perform thefull measure of work required at that point without liability of injuryor derangement under any proper service and without impairing therelatively considerable elasticity existing in the outer portions orarms of the said main carrier. For cooperating with saidspecially-constructed middle portion of the main carrier I provide theattaching-piece 4, especially in the more complete form of the deviceshown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, with a corresponding channeled construction,as will be more clearly seen from the sectional and broken views of thesame contained in Figs. 3 and 4:, in which the ball-groove for the outerrow of balls is indicated by 17 and the opposite groove for the innerset of balls is indicated by 21. It will be seen that the plate portiont of this form of the said member 4 joins the ribbed or channeledportion thereof by a curved line, these several features resulting in arigid and peculiarly-reliable structure. It will also be noted that themanner in which the two sets of balls are located and the way in whichthe said member 4 is formed to receive the two sets, one set being oflarger diameter than the other, gives to the crosssectional form areversed curvature,thatis evidently particularly effective for stillfurther increasing the stability and efficiency of this portion of thedevice. As a convenient means for holding together the said parts 3 and4 and at the same time for completing the construction of the second orinner channel of ball-bearings of the device I have shown thesupplemental bearing member-having therein the channel or groove 25,said disk being suitably attached to the main bearing member 3. In thepresent instance this attachment is made by means of a tubular rivet 23,which may be applied ,in the usual way by means of suitable dies in apress or analogous appliance.

It will be also understood, as indicated from the foregoing descriptionof the pivoted chapes 5 and 5', that the member 4: may be provided witha loop 18, as shown in the accompanying drawings, or in lieu thereofwith othersuitable chape for receiving end pieces or other straps, as 2020', as maybe required in any particular instance.

By the practical use of full-sized specimens of my present improvementsI find that the operation of the same is peculiarly free and smooth andthat the principal part of the work thrown upon the several joints takentogether is sustained by the ball-bearing or middle joint and that thisjoint, notwithstanding the strong and firm construction of the device asregards its operation in the direction of the principal stress, operateswithout any grinding or other unpleasant actionsuch, for instance, as isordinarily due to the use of sliding attachments of Various kinds, suchas heretofore known in the marketand that for the heavier kinds ofservice the double ball-bearing construction of the main joint and theconsequent rigidity of the mem It will be observed that the thinsheet-metal lever and hanger 3 and 4 are so stamped or formed andassembled that they cooperate to form an annular race, in which theballs are placed, said balls preferably running in contact witheach ofsaid lever and hanger elements; that means are provided for retainingsaid lever, hanger, and balls in cooperative relation, said meansincluding in this instance the centrally-arranged rivet or conmotor 23and its annular cap 25, between the latter of which and the hanger runsthe inner row of bearing-balls; thatin allcases,whether or not thehanger and lever are held together by the specified connector or by someother device, an extensive bearing-surface of the thin sheet metal isbrought into use and rapid cutting away of a bearing by the thin edge ofeither of said lever or hanger elements is avoided; that preferably atleast one of the lever and hanger elements has stamped therein anannular channel forming a portion of a ball-race, while the other ofsaid members or elements has formed therein a cooperative ball-raceportion; that in the illustrated construction each of the lever andhanger elements has a struck-up annular channel; that one of saidmembers, preferably the hanger, has a second annular channel of smallerdiameter, in which runs a second or smaller set of bearing-balls, thepart 25 holding both sets of bearing-balls in cooperative relation withthe other parts of the device, and that the hanger is provided withstruck-up ball-channels upon its opposite faces.

It will be understood that variations may be resorted to within thescope of my invention, and particularly so long as balls are used inorder to prevent thecutting action of the thin edge of the metal of oneof the lever and hanger members upon a pivot it is not,

essential in all cases how many sets of bearing-balls are employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim v 1. A pair of suspenderscomprising. a pair of shoulder-straps, a suspender-end, and a deviceconnecting said straps to said suspenderend, said connecting devicecomprising a lever to whose opposite ends said shoulderstraps areconnected, and a hanger to which said suspender-end is connected; saidlever being formed of thin sheet metal, and said hanger beingalso-formed of thin sheet metal and being connected to said leverbetween the ends of the latter; aset of bearing-balls; said lever andhanger being so stamped or formed and assembled that they cooperate toform an annular race in which said balls are placed,

said balls ru nning'in contact with each of said lever andhangerelements; and means for retaining said lever,-hanger andballs incooperative relation; whereby extensivebear ing-surfaces of the thinsheet metal are brought into use, and the rapid cutting away of abearing by the thin edgeof either of said lever and hanger elements isavoided.

2. A pair of suspenders comprising a pair of shoulder-straps, aSuspender-end, and a device connecting said straps to saidrsuspenderend;said connecting device comprising a lever to whose opposite ends saidshoulderstraps are connected, and a hanger to which said suspender-endis connected; each ofsaid lever and hanger elements being stamped upfrom thin sheet metal, and at least one thereof having stamped thereinan annular channel forming a portion of a ball-race, and the other ofsaid members having formed therein a cooperating ball-race portion; aset of balls working in said channel or said race; and means forretaining said lever, hanger and balls in cooperative relation. p

3. A pair of suspenders comprising a pair of shoulder-straps, asuspender-end and a device connecting said straps to said suspenderend;said connecting device comprising a lever to whose opposite ends saidshoulderstraps are connected, and a hanger to which said suspender-endis connected; each of said lever and hanger elements being stamped upfrom thin sheet metal, and each havingstruck u p therein an annularchannel, the channels together forming a ball-race; a set of ballsworking in said race; andimeans for retaining of shoulder-straps, aSuspender-end, and a dey vice connecting said straps to saidsuspenderend; said connecting devicecomprising a lever to whose oppositeends said shoulderstraps are connected, and a hanger to which saidSuspender-end is connected; said straps being connected to said lever bymeans of chapes pivoted to the latter; each of said lever and hangerelements being reinforced by an annular channel struck up therein, saidchannels taken together forming a ball-race; a set of balls in saidrace; and a central device holding said lever, hanger and balls in leverand hanger elements being stamped up,

from thin sheet metal, and each having struck up therein an annularchannel, the channels together forming a ball-race; a setof ballsworking'in said race; a second annular channel provided upon one of saidlever and hanger elements; a second set of balls in said second channel;and means for retaining in cooperative relation said lever, said hangerand said sets of balls.

6. A pair of suspenders comprising a pair of shoulder-straps, aSuspender-end, and a device connecting said straps to said suspenderend;said connecting device comprising a lever to whose opposite ends saidshoulderstraps are connected, and a hanger to which said suspender-endis connected; each of said lever and hanger elements being stamped upfrom thin sheet metal; one of said lever and hanger elements having uponits opposite v faces struck-up annular channels, and the other thereofbeing provided with means on both sides of said first-mentioned memberfor cooperating with both of said channels to form ball-races; and setsof balls in said races; one of said races being of smaller diameter thanthe other.

7. A pair of suspenders comprising a pair of shoulder-straps, asuspender-end,and a device connecting said straps to said suspenderend,said connecting device comprising a lever to whose opposite ends saidshoulderstraps are.connected, and a hanger to which said suspendenend isconnected; each of said lever and hanger elements being stamped up fromthin sheet metal; one of said lever and hanger elements having upon itsopposite faces struckup annular channels, and the having a head whichcooperates with the other of said first-mentioned channels to formanother ball-race; and sets of balls in said races.

8. A pair of suspenders comprising a pair of shoulder-straps, asuspender-end, and a device connecting said straps to saidsuspenderend,said connecting device comprising a member to which saidshoulder-straps are connected, and a second member to which saidsuspender-end is connected; said members being stamped up from thinsheet metal, and being connected together; a set of bearing-balls; saidmembers being so stamped or formed and assembled that they cooperate toform an annular race in which said balls are placed; and means forretaining said members and said balls in cooperative relation; wherebyextensive bearing-surfaces of the thin metal are brought into use, andthe rapid cutting away of a hearing by the thin edge of either of saidmembers is avoided.

HENRY C. HINE. Witnesses:

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, FRED. J. DOLE.

